Brush-cleaning machine.



H. M. SCHWARTZ.

BRU$H CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1912.

Patented Jan. 19,-1915.

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H- M. SCHWARTZ.

BRUSH GLFANING MACHINE.

APPLIGAT'LON NEED AUGJS. 1912.

1, 125,188" Patented Jan. 19,1915.

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THE NORRIS pzrsns C0,, WASHINGTON 11c.

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HERMAN M. SCHWARTZ, or N'oRTnA PTo AssAorrnsETTs, AssIeNoR TO FANNIE B. LOOK, or NORTHAMPTON, MASSAQHUSETTSLGEQBGE H. VBURR, OFYNEW YORK, N. Y., AND ELDON MAcLEon, or wnsrwoon, MASSACHUSETTS, TRUSTEES.

BRUSH-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 19, 1915.

Application filed August is, 1912. semi No. 714,820.

To all whom it may concern: V I

Be it known that I, HERMAN M. SCHWARTZ, citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, county of Hampshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brush-Cleaning Machines, of which the'following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to brush machines of the class employed for cleaning bristles and is adapted particularly for use in connection with tooth brushes.

It has been found that during the process of securing the tufts of bristles in the brush back, particularly Where the tuft is formed by machinery and secured in place by a staple, some of the bristles are broken or cracked at the bending pointand that these broken or cracked bristles subsequently Work loose and fall out. In tooth brushes particularly, this is a serious defect. It has further been found that if the ends of the bristles in the brush are gently and repeat edly rubbed and bent by drawing the thumb across the face of the brush, the cracked and broken bristles will gradually work themselves loose from the tufts of bristles and fall out, and that when all of the cracked or broken bristles have once been removed in this manner, the brush may be used for a long time and will not shed any bristles. I

The invention therefore has for its object to provide a machine which will remove from the brush all the broken or cracked bristles so that the brush will not thereafter shed any bristles.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement all as hereinafter more full set forth in the following description of a machine embodying my invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof.

The novel features of my invention are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of the specification.

Referring now to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the rear of the machine. Fig. 3 is a section of the rotary brush holder and brush cleaner. Fig. 4 is a view of the face of the brush cleaner. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the brush cleaner, being. taken on line 5-5111 Fig. 4..

Referring to the drawings, at A, is shewii the base of the machine, and, at B, the frame. In this frame, is mounted a shaft 11 on the end of which is placed the drum 12 which is in effect aand 15 meshing with corresponding gears 16 and 17 and connecting said workholder shaft 11 with the main driving shaft 18 through a cross shaft 19. The main shaft 18 is rotated rapidly by means of a belt 20 on a pulley 21. As actually constructed, the work-support 12 makes one revolution in about three minutes.

Located beneath the workholder .12, are a pair of knives of proper shape to trim the bristles of the brush to the desired contour.v

One of these knives 22 is stationary, while the other knife 23 is rotated very rapidly. The rotary knife 23 is mounted on an aXle 241 and is driven independently by a belt (not shown) on a pulley 251. In practice, I find it desirable to give this knife a speed of about 3,500 revolutions per minute. The rotation of the work holder 12 carries the brushes past the trimmer to the cleaning mechanism. This consists essentially of the cleaner 24, mounted adjacent the Workholder 12 and extending over an arc of about degrees. This cleaner is provided with three series of ribs 25, 26 and 27 and is moved parallel to the axis of rotation of the workv strips of wood 51 and held together by bolts 521, as seen in Fig. 6. Bone or Wood is used as the material for the cleaner because, so far as is known to me, these are the only suitable materials which Will not blacken the ends and sides of the bristles, as results if metal or celluloid is used. The brush cleaner 2a is mounted on an arm 28 on tWo parallel rods 29 and 30 which are slidable in brackets 31 and 32 in the frame of the machine. The bristle cleaner is caused to reciprocate by means of a pitman 33 connected to a crank disk 3% and to the arm 28. The crank disk is mounted on a shaft 35 which is rotated by two spiral gears 36 and 37, the latter of which is on the main shaft 18. In the machine which I have heretofore constructed embodying my invention, the shaft 35 runs at about 8% revolutions per minute; therefore the brush cleaner moves across the face of each brush at the rate of about 168 strokes a minute. The series of ribs '26 bend the bristles longitudinally of the brush much the same as if the face of the brush were stroked by the thumb, but the three series of ribs 25, 26, and 27 bend the bristles successively in three directions so that the bristles are subjected to what may be termed a rotary bending. The constant repetition of the bending has the effect of causing the loose and cracked bristles to work up out of the tuft until the brush is entirely free from any defective bristles, but no injury is done to the tuft.

The machine has provision for adjustment of the work holder relatively to the trimmer Which is not necessary to be described herein.

It will be understood that in the operation of the machine, all the slots in the work holder are filled with brushes and that the operator removes the trimmed and cleaned brush from each slot as the work holder re= volves and substitutes for it an untrimmed brush, so that there is always a series of brushes passing through the machine. The operation of the machine is very rapid and effective.

In the foregoing specification I have described the machine as actually constructed and operated by me, but I do not limit myself to the particular form of machine described herein.

What I claim is: I

1. A brush cleaning machine comprising a rotary Work holder in Which the brushes are disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of said brush holder, a cleaning member, and means for causing the said cleaning member to reciprocate in a line parallel to the axis of rotation of said work holder and in contact with the bristles in the brushes in the work holder.

2. The brush cleaning machine comprising a work holder having a movement of translation, a Work cleaner, means for causing said work cleaner to reciprocate, said work cleaner having a face composed of series of ribs.

3. The brush cleaning machine comprising a work holder having a movement of translation, a work cleaner. means for causing said work cleaner to reciprocate, said work cleaner having a face composed of series of ribs disposed at an angle to each other and to the line of movement of the work cleaner.

1. In a brushv machine, the improved brush cleaner comprising a plurality of separate areas, a series of parallel ribs on each of said areas, the parallel ribs in one of said areas being placed at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to the parallel ribs in another of said areas.

5. In a brush cleaning machine, the combination with a work holder for brushes, of a brush cleaner having a roughened surface, means for moving said work holder to cause the brush bristles to come into contact with the roughened surface of the cleaner, and means for reciprocating the cleaner across said brush bristles.

6. In a brush cleaning machine, the combination with a rotary work holder of a reciprocating cleaning member, said cleaning member being provided with a plurality of series of ribs placed at an angle to each other.

7. In a brush cleaning machine, the improved brush cleaner having a series of ribs at each end placed at right angles to each other and a central series therebetween placed at an angle to each of said first mentioned series.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN M. SCHWARTZ.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE P. DIKE,

CHARLES W. BLooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

